Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Benzoic acid produces effervescence on treatment with aq. $NaHCO_

Question

Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Benzoic acid produces effervescence on treatment with aq. $NaHCO_3$.
Statement II: The effervescence is due to the release of hydrogen gas.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options give below:

Accepted Answer

Carboxylic acids (like Benzoic acid) are stronger acids than carbonic acid ($H_2CO_3$). Consequently, they decompose carbonates and bicarbonates to evolve carbon dioxide gas ($CO_2$), which produces brisk effervescence. The reaction is represented as: $C_6H_5COOH + NaHCO_3 \rightarrow C_6H_5COONa + H_2O + CO_2 \uparrow$. Therefore, Statement I is correct because the reaction occurs, but Statement II is incorrect because the gas released is $CO_2$, not hydrogen ($H_2$).

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